published in 1811 % we are told, that. Madeira is 75 miles long, and
60 broad; now the extreme length, as I have shewn from Colonel
Paulo d’Almeida’s survey, is only 32| G. miles, and the greatest
breadth 12.1. I have taken as much pains as possible to ascertain
the latitude and longitude of the eastern and western points, by
combining the best existing data, and I make the former,
P. Lourenpo, 32° 43' 30" N., 16° 39', 2.2" W .; and the latter, P. de
Pargo, 32° 60' N., and 17° 22' W.f
I have determined five more indigenous, and two more cultivated
plants, to add to the sketch of a Flora in the Appendix.
Of the former, the asclepias fruticosa is found in different parts pf
the island, the senecio triflorus towards the bottom of the Coural,
the sedum divaricatum, stachys scordioidis and an orchis (an iberica?)
in the laurel region of the ascent to Ruivo. The latter are the
momordica balsamina in the garden of Mr, Keir, and the beautiful
iriga obtusifolia (first found in Cumana, by De Humboldt and
Bonpland), in that of Mr. Wardrop.
All the branches of several orange-trees at the Valle villa, near
Funchal, having unaccountably perished, they were cut down, and a
section of one being accidentally, made at {the very fine which
separated the healthy from the diseased part of the tree, a worm
was found near the centre, lodged within a perforation (1J inches
long, | inch wide, and 2 in depth, narrowing inwards), which
it was occupied in enlarging by means of its powerful jaws (the
working of which produced an irregular noise equal to the’ticking
* London, 4to. p. 841.—Gonrlay writes, p. 5, « its greatest length from east tp west
is 45 m ile sP itta , p. 10, 55 miles.
' Since the sending home of the manuscript of this work, Mr. Bowdich, who never
lost any opportunity of pursuing his scientific observations, was enabled, with great
labour, to effect a trigonometrical measurement of Ruivo, Ac., which has been published
in B r e w s t e r ’s Scientific Journal. Ed.
of a large clock), devouring the wood, and clogging up the aperture
behind it, "with: compressed saw-dust. . My friend Dr. Heineken,
thinking I should like to examine this worm,. Colonel Gordon very
politely sent it me in the wood. In one instance, just below
where it was pursuing its circuitous course, there was a green
healthy sprout; "whilst all those above it were dead.
The following description will prove, that it forms a new genus
of the second family of the third order of Cuvier’s class, annelides,
and its discovery is the more interesting, from the circumstance of
the lumbricm terrestris having been hitherto the only known
animal of the whole class that did not live in water. There being
already a genus of insects named xylophagm by Fabricius, I would
propose calling it xyleboruss citri.
Blood red; nerves radiating in fibres; body composed of thirteen
rings or segments, united by flexible membranes; the segment
nearest the mouth cartilaginous, the next four square, the rest
round; jaws thick and forcible (protected by fleshy processes, one
above, three below, and one on each side in the form of a fleshy
spine), attached to a collar of six pieces, apparently for their
support and movement; a small spine on each side of the upper
part of each of the four first rings; without feet or moveable
hairs; breathing by the pores of the skin; the intestine longer
than the body, and forming a fold before it reaches the anus, as
in the genus thalassemo; white; \ an inch long, diameter of the
first ring f, the others decreasing gradually until the body terminates
almost in a point. Vide fig, 35, a and b.
If Homer’s beautiful description of the Phceacian Isle, where
fruit succeeded fruit, and flower followed flower, in rich and
endless variety, be applicable to any modern one, it is to Madeira.
Hvhnfioqos qui lignum exedit aut vorat ut vermes.